One Fine Line
by TheWanderingStar
Summary: AU Turn Left: Rose Tyler had always believed herself to be remarkably ordinary, but ever since the explosion at Henriks she's plagued by dreams of something that never quite was and a stranger that won't seem to leave her alone.
1. Chapter 1

Darting a hopeful eye to the clock across the shop floor, Rose felt her heart lift a little lighter. 6:02. Done for the day.

As time went on she felt that working in the shop was slowly driving her insane. It always felt like someone was playing a cruel trick on her with that godforsaken thing. Each second was torture; the shuddering hand ticked towards each minute with a painful indifference, unaware of her quiet encouragements to go faster.

But as soon as that hand reached six, she had to be out of there like a shot. She had to meet Mickey at her mum's on this particular day. Rose had always had a habit of being late, but lately it was getting a little bit ridiculous. It seemed she had her head in the clouds more often than usual. But today she wouldn't let him down. He hated being stuck on his own with her mum for more than ten seconds…the day she was an hour late home she found him practically climbing the walls.

Hurrying towards the door behind some of the other girls, she grimaced as she saw the security guard. Larry raised a knowing eyebrow as he pulled a little plastic bag from his pocket.

She forced a painful smile on her face as she took the package.

Suppressing a sigh she began hurrying back across the shop to the lifts. Every week some of the staff would do a quick round to buy a load of lottery tickets. She was certain they'd never win but at least it would inject a bit of excitement into her otherwise uneventful Saturday night. She dithered for a moment at the thought. God…that was depressing.

_Don't be late, don't be late!_ She repeated the mantra in her head, hoping it would make time slow just a little for her.

She cast her eye across the shop, weighing up the quickest way to get to the handyman's office.

To her right…the elevator. Pros: It took you right down to the basement. Cons: It was on the other side of the shop and God knows how long it would take to arrive.

To her left…the stairs. Pros: You'd get there in half the time if you ran. Of course it would shave maybe a couple of minutes off her trip but it was a few less minutes Mickey could hold against her. Cons: Exercise.

_Left or right, left or right, left or right, left or right…_

She gave another glance to the clock. 6:05.

Damn it.

"Left it is." She ran across the shop floor to the door marked Staff Only, hand gripping her flimsy work pass in her pocket. She held it against the scanner, frowning as it beeped red.

"Come on." She repeatedly pressed it to the little black box, scowling as it gave her that ominous little red light. No entry. Looking at her pass and trying to ignore the awful picture her heart dropped as she saw the date.

_Expires: 02/03/05_

March 2nd. 3 days ago. Great.

6:08.

The bus journey took half an hour at least. And she only had twenty minutes.

"Sod it." She ran back to Larry giving her best apologetic face.

"Tell Wilson I'm sorry, I just can't be late again." She called over her shoulder trying her best to ignore the receiving eye roll.

She hurried into the cold nights air, eyes scanning for the familiar scarlet bus that had become almost her second home.

She glanced at the sky and took a moment to wonder how on Earth it had gotten so dark in such a short space of time before running across the road to reach her bus stop.

It was then that a burst of light blocked her vision, making it hard to see for a moment. The ground shook and she was pretty sure underneath the deafening rumbles were screams.

* * *

Rose put her keys in the lock, and before she even had a chance to turn them her mother opened the door.

"Oh, my God! Rose, what's happened to you!?" She was pulled into an embrace that she wasn't quite ready for, getting caught with her face pressed into a chest that smelled of excessive perfume.

"Mum, honestly!" She cried, voice muffled in the body of the woman still squealing for answers. Rose untangled herself and looked Jackie Tyler in the eyes.

"Mum, it's okay. Just a gas leak or something I guess, but I'm fine." Jackie scowled.

"Then you could have called." Rose held back a sigh and trundled inside, dropping her bag on the carpet.

"Honestly, it's been all over the news." As she walked into the living room she flopped onto the sofa, trying to gather her thoughts. The phone rang and her mother picked it up, no doubt one of her ridiculous gossiping friends. But Rose could forgive the constant nattering as she heard the kettle begin to boil. That's all she wanted. A cup of tea.

"Rose, what happened? You were supposed to meet me, and you were late and the store! You could have been dead, I've been phoning your mobile, what happened?" The unmistakable voice of Mickey Smith. He was always a gentle boy, softly spoken even though he could be a bit of an idiot. But his heart was always in the right place. He grasped his girlfriend into a hug as he joined her on the sofa, and for a moment Rose found his concern genuinely touching.

"Mick, honestly, I'm fine."

"What was it though? What caused it?" He persisted.

"I don't know, I wasn't even in the shop at the time." Rose sighed. Her mother came clambering into the conversation.

"Debbie's on the phone, she knows a man at the Mirror, £500 for an interview!" She said, astonished.

"Oh, that's brilliant, give it here!" Rose reached for the phone, and once the hunk of plastic was in her hand she slammed it down. Jackie tutted.

"Well, how else are you going start making money? I'm not going to bail you out." Rose was about to give a completely witty answer until the phone rang once more. Jackie reached for it like a shot.

"Bev?! She's alive."

"Oh, my God." Rose whispered as she sank deeper into the sofa.

* * *

_Beep beep beep beep_

Rose's hand reached blindly over her bedside table, slamming the snooze button on her alarm clock. She peered through a sheet of matted hair around the room, trying to get her bearings.

"There's no point in getting up sweetheart, you've got no job to go to." Jackie's voice floated into her room. She flopped back onto her bed, snuggling into the duvet. But then she paused. For the first time, she really thought about last night. She thought about that one moment when she was chanted left or right, left or right over and over in her head. What would have happened if she had gone right? She might have been in the explosion. She might have died. The heavy thought pressed on her chest until she let out a low exhale. She guessed some things were meant to be. Maybe deciding to go left was an act of fate or destiny…or something. Unable to sleep with that in mind, she got up, wincing as she saw the mascara smudges under her eyes. Grabbing a few tissues she set to work, rectifying it. But as she turned to throw one into the little bin over her shoulder she paused. Her eyes darted to the mirror, observing her back as her hands reached behind her, feeling the expanse of skin. She could have sworn…

"Want a cup of tea, love?" Jackie once more interrupted her thought process.

"Yeah." She called back, still touching the smooth skin. She could have sworn there was something on her back.

Rose sat at the kitchen table; listening as her mother reeled off a list of new places she could try and find work.

She was almost thankful when the doorbell rang. Jackie had padded off to her bedroom, calling for Rose to answer it.

"Alright, I'm going." She muttered, rushing over to the insistent guest constantly ringing their doorbell.

"Hello?" She said expectantly, but the word nearly died in her throat as she observed the man before her. He was skinny. That was the first thing that came to mind. The second was great hair…_really_ great hair. He was clad in a brown pinstriped suit with converse to set it all off. He looked like a complete nutter. But…if she was being completely honest? A gorgeous nutter.

"Hello." He beamed at her, as if he was greeting an old friend. He had these wide brown eyes that were _so_ expressive…it was strange. She felt like he was genuinely pleased to see her.

They stood there for a few seconds, the nutter still grinning at Rose as she slowly became uneasy.

"Can I help you?" She said slowly, and the man snapped into action. He patted his pockets down and flourished a brown leather wallet in front of her.

"John Smith. I'm investigating the explosion at Henriks. Rose, isn't it? You work there I believe?" Rose nodded with a sigh.

"Guess you should come in then? Honestly, I wasn't even there when it happened so I don't know what good I'll be to you. Do you want a cup of tea or are you on duty or something?" She called as she walked down the hall. John Smith smiled after her.

"That would be brilliant, thanks." He walked down the corridor, observing the family pictures on the wall. He paused at one spot, as if there should have been another picture hanging on the blank patch of wallpaper. But then he shook his head and meandered through to the kitchen. On his way he passed Jackie's room in a hurry. If Rose had listened she would have heard him mutter;

"Not repeating that part again." Rose was clattering in the kitchen, putting spoonfuls of sugar into two mugs.

"So…do you know what caused it?" She asked over her shoulder, John was still preoccupied with observing his surroundings.

"Haven't the foggiest yet." He murmured…and if she wasn't mistaken was that bemusement in his voice?

"Can I just ask…did anyone die?" John turned, seemingly caught unawares after flicking through a magazine on the table. He paused.

"Well, no. Almost. Well…. unsure how it happened this time, really." He made a face.

"What does that even mean?" Rose frowned as she warily handed him the mug.

"There was a bloke in a leather jacket who nearly got into a spot of bother, but he got out okay."

She was silent as he took a sip of the tea, eyeing him carefully from the top of her own mug.

"This time?" His mouth opened, and she could see just there in the back of those wide eyes that he was searching for the right thing to say.

"You're not part of the investigation are you." Rose said, wanting to back away from this strange man in her kitchen but at the same time not wanting to move away at all.

The man in the suit smiled and shrugged.

"I could be an investigator." She should be alarmed really, that this stranger had waltzed into her flat like he owned the place under false pretense. But there was something about those eyes…it was like she trusted him. A little bit. She scoffed.

"Who do you think you are? A poor man's Sherlock Holmes?"

"Oi, I've met Sherlock and I was by far the smartest man in the room."

"He isn't real!"

"Says you." The exchange between them was fluid, natural and almost without thinking. But afterwards he gave her a strange look. Like he was regarding a half finished painting. Like he was waiting for something more. He put his cup down with a quiet clunk.

"You're mad. Completely and utterly mad." Rose whispered.

"Oh yes…I'm pretty sure that was your favourite thing about me." She froze.

"I don't…what do you mean favourite? I've never met you before!" John Smith gave another small sad smile, slipping his hands into his suit pockets.

"Oh Rose, we were inseparable you and I." Rose rolled her eyes.

"In another life, sure."

"You could say that." He raised his eyebrows, seemingly deep in thought. Rose put her own mug down. What was she doing? Letting this stranger walk into her home and talk in riddles. He could be a murderer…a psycho for all she knew. But as much as her common sense told her that was a possibility, her mind whispered that she knew it wasn't true. But enough was enough.

"Look, just get out. Please, I've just seen a building explode and all my boyfriend is concerned about is the bloody football. I just need to rest."

"Ah, forgot Mickey the idiot was knocking about around this time. But it's okay, you're not ready, I understand." He seemed genuinely disappointed in her. He was so…_sad_. And she didn't like the feeling of disappointing him. Not one bit.

"Ready for what?" She said cautiously, his reaction throwing her off guard.

"Oh, nothing. Not yet anyway. See you around Rose." He said, meandering back down the hall towards the door.

"Ready for what?" Rose cried out.

The door closed behind him with a soft click. She ran towards it, pulling open the door.

"How did you know my boyfriend's name?" She cried out, only to find an empty grey balcony. About to pull on her jacket, her mum called.

"Rose! Come and help me with this. And look, the lottery is on! Who was that at the door?"

"I have no idea." Rose whispered to herself, mind racing over the encounter.

* * *

That night she dreamed of moving shop dummies and a man with flashing blue eyes and a sad smile.

* * *

**A/N: I've got the next few chapters mapped out so there should be frequent updates, let me know what you thought!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a short chapter before we get to the action, hope you like it!**

* * *

For Rose the days went by only punctuated by the constant nagging of her mum to find a job and the trips to the pub with Mickey.

Her encounter with John Smith was starting to seem like a distant dream, something that had never actually quite happened. That was until Jackie Tyler threw a newspaper down onto the table top.

"Rose, honestly sweetheart, I can't have you moping about the flat all day now that you're out of work. I've circled a few things you might like in there." She said, brows knitted together in concern for her daughter. She'd noticed the constant look Rose had had on her face for days…weeks even. She was on autopilot. The poor girl didn't know what to do with herself.

To her surprise, a smile crept across her daughter's face before she broke into a laugh.

"Honestly mum, who finds a job in the newspaper these days?" Jackie harrumphed.

"You might just if you'd care to look."

With an exaggerated eye roll, Rose turned her attention to the carefully outlined paragraphs. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel bad. Her mum had been trying bless her, but what was she supposed to do? Find another job in a shop? Fold clothes until the day she died? The thought made her heart heavy.

She guessed it was her own fault for dropping out of school for a useless boy. She guessed that made her pretty useless too.

Rose half heartedly pointed to one of the listings.

"Waitress…I guess I could do that. Anything but folding." Her mum beamed, happy to see she was trying at least.

"What about the butcher's? Pays a bit more." Rose's loud retch put an end to that idea.

* * *

A week later Rose found herself leaning with her back against the wall at the entrance of_ Pilazza. _Her mum had scoffed at the posh sounding name, muttering something about airs and graces. But Rose didn't mind it. It was something different. She even sort of liked the uniform. Every girl wore a figure hugging black skirt that seemed just a little too short with a white blouse. Different from what she usually wore, but that was the best part. Different.

But then a week later it all seemed so familiar. The new outfit was just a uniform and the gorgeous food was overpriced and undercooked.

So there she stood, leaning against the wall, observing the world around her but not quite feeling it. She didn't understand what was wrong with her lately. Ever since Henriks was lost in flames she felt something was terribly wrong. She was anxious and bored, and sometimes she found herself reaching down to take someone's hand. Only of course they were never there.

"Rose, did you take the rubbish out?" One of the girls who worked behind the bar whispered to her, urging her to move before her manager spotted her obvious negligence. With a half hearted grateful smile, Rose made her way into the kitchens.

She'd never realized just how weak her arms were until she had to lug two heavy black sacks of old dough and rotten vegetables to a garbage dumpster. She gave a reassuring smile to one of the chefs on a cigarette break behind the restaurant as he regarded her futile efforts with a raised eyebrow.

Opening the dumpster, she recoiled at the whiff of decay it gave out, quickly heaving the sacks in. Even the chef grimaced at the smell, stamping out his vice and returning to his post.

"Need a hand?" She dropped the lid with a clang.

There he stood, the pinstriped man, almost lost in the darkness of the night.

"It's you again." Rose whispered, unsure whether to take a step backwards or forwards. She found herself glancing around to see if anyone else was seeing this man whom she was almost sure was a figment of her imagination.

"Me again? I've had warmer greetings." He gave her a half smile, eyes glistening from the orange streetlights.

"Who are you?" She whispered. He dithered for a moment.

"No one, not really." Rose scoffed.

"Honestly, I think I deserve a little bit more of an explanation than that." He sighed.

"Alright. If you want to know…I'm the Doctor." She raised an eyebrow.

"The Doctor."

"Yes."

"If you say so." She said finally. He just grinned.

"So you show up at my house pretending to be someone you're not…then you show up at my work calling yourself the _Doctor_. Are you legally insane or has no one realised yet?" The Doctor raised his eyebrows, almost impressed by her brazenness.

"Well….I thought it was charming."

"Charming?" She laughed under her breath, in disbelief at the remarkable man before her.

"You terrify me." She continued. If the night wasn't so dark she'd be sure that she'd seen him flinch at that. The mood had sobered.

"What did you mean before? In my flat, you were talking like you knew me?" Rose almost didn't want to ask the question. Beneath all of his bravado he seemed fragile, strained almost. But most of all he looked tired.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The Doctor simply smiled his sad smile again.

"Okay…then what do you want?" He scuffed his shoe against the floor, suddenly unsure of the right words to say.

"Just…checking up on you, I suppose." Rose felt herself almost blush. How could a stranger, lunatic or not, care so much?

"I just don't get it." She said, regarding how much more pronounced the bags were under his eyes this time. He took a step towards her and despite herself, she fought not to move away. Soon he was so close she could count every smatter of freckles across his nose. He looked at her with such fondness and familiarity it made her heart begin to pound.

"Something's going to happen, Rose. Something new and brilliant and you'll see that not everything is chips and buses and folding clothes." He whispered, and in his voice she could hear him urging her to take note. Before she could help herself, her mouth opened.

"What's going to happen?" A soft smile brushed the Doctor's face.

"Something extraordinary. Just keep an eye out."

The moment was ruined however, by a crash as the metal door to the restaurant hit the brick wall.

"Rose, we need you out front!" Her manager yelled, the annoyance plain across his face.

As she turned back to the Doctor, she was met with nothing but the empty darkness of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! I really do appreciate it**

* * *

"She waited. She waited for the something extraordinary the Doctor had promised her. The days passed much as they did after the last time they met, but this time when she turned a street corner her eyes scanned the horizon, and when she woke from her bed she would look to the sky. Waiting. Watching for something _extraordinary_.

Then one morning it happened.

As Jackie brought in the morning paper, Rose heard a gasp.

"Look at that." She said incredulously. Rose frowned, her mouth still full of cereal as she pulled the paper towards her.

_Alien Ship Crash Lands In London_

Her eyes almost didn't take it in.

"Look at that…do you think they're the ones who blew up your job?" Her mum whispered quietly over her shoulder.

"No, mum. I doubt that the aliens would strike Henriks in their world plot to take over the world." Jackie scowled.

"Well, they could do. You never know!" Rose swallowed her mouthful and nodded along.

_Of course they would mum, of course they would._

She looked at the paper; a blurred picture of what was undoubtedly a ship sitting half cocked in the water. Her heart thumped a bit harder.

"Quickly, turn the telly on! They're not joking!" Her mum called as she glanced out of the window. Three helicopters thundered past towards the city centre. The window almost rattled.

Rose leapt up, grabbing the remote control.

And there it was. On the television.

Live pictures of an alien spaceship sitting right there in the capital of her city. She would think back and be almost surprised that it didn't send her into a heart attack. But at the same time she felt strangely emotional. There was something else. Something bigger than her and all the proof she needed was sitting a few miles away.

_Something extraordinary is going to happen_

He told her. The Doctor told her.

"I'm going out." Rose called over to Jackie, running her fingers through her hair and wiping the sleep from her eyes. Jackie had barely turned around before the door shut.

* * *

The roads were jammed, cars upon cars lined the streets, some were abandoned and some were still occupied by stubborn drivers. But Rose ran. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears, but she had to get there. She needed to see that the Doctor had fulfilled his promise and it wasn't, like him she suspected, a figment of her imagination.

"Stop right there!" A young man in camouflage waved to her as she made her way to the bright red cordons. She slowed, eyeing the gun in his hands warily. He motioned for her to turn around, so with a soft sigh she did. Furtive glances beyond the cordons told her she was close. She could see the smoke billowing from the broken ship.

Rounding the corner, she nearly collided headfirst into a wooden blue box. She stuttered to a halt, eyes regarding the curious object. It was strange, so out of touch with its surroundings but at the same time it seemed to melt into the brick and cement around it. The sapphire wood looked old, ancient even. But even then it seemed new all at once. With a shaking hand, Rose reached out her fingertips, tracing over the grains and ridges in the rough material. Her skin seemed to hum with the energy she felt.

And in her mind there was singing.

With a gasp, she tore her hand away, cradling it from the strange box. The golden light that had filled her mind slowly ebbed away and left her feeling strangely empty.

It was too much.

Imaginary Doctors and spaceships and singing blue boxes.

She ran all the way home.

But if she'd have looked back she'd have seen a figure in brown watching her from a distance, slowly fading away.

* * *

The next day was awash with stories of aliens and theories and conspiracies. Rose drank it all in, hoping for a glimpse of a brown coat or soft eyes, growing more disappointed as each second passed.

She turned the TV on, checking her watch. She was supposed to meet Mickey down the pub for a drink. She knew the football was on. She wasn't that stupid. But she froze as she read the caption on the news;

_Nuclear war imminent?_

"Mum?...Mum!?" Rose cried out, trying to get her voice heard over the roar of a hairdryer. Jackie came plodding out of her room in a dressing gown, hair still wet from the shower.

"Honestly, you'll burst my ears one day, I…." She stopped as she read the screen, lowering herself slowly onto the sofa.

Her hands came up to cover her mouth.

"Oh my God, what do they mean? Nuclear?" Rose shook her head, turning up the volume, straining to hear.

_The mothership is said to be directly over the Earth with massive weapons of destruction, and the British government has requested access to the Nuclear codes for a pre-emptive strike. The UN will vote tonight._

"Mickey." Rose whispered, leaping from her seat, grabbing the clunky plastic phone. She dialed the number she had known by heart for years, praying that it would connect. She released a breath she had forgotten she was holding when his familiar voice answered.

"Babe, have you seen the news!?"-

"Yeah, I've seen it, where are you?" She hushed his frantic voice.

"I'm at Westminster Station. I'm trying to get to the pub but everything's blocked off."

"Mickey, just get to mum's flat." She heard the sirens on his end, making it hard to hear.

'Yeah, I'm on my way, we'll ride this thing out together babe, I promise-" His words of comfort were interrupted with a crash. Rose had heard that sound before. An explosion.

"Mickey? Mickey!?" She called into the phone. It was still connected and the rumbling of aftershocks could be heard roaring down the line.

Jackie stood, hands over her heart, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm here, I'm still here." His muffled voice reached Rose's ears and she leaned against the back of the sofa for support.

"You scared the life out of me, what happened?!" She cried, reaching for the remote and flicking through channels trying to find the latest update.

"It's Downing street, Rose. It's gone." She stopped.

"What do you mean it's gone?"

"It blew up. Downing Street blew up. I'm coming over Rose, I'll protect you, it's going to be okay." He disconnected the call. Rose lowered the phone slowly, mouth still slightly ajar.

"Rose, what is it, you're scaring me?" Jackie said, urging her daughter to speak.

"Number 10…it's been blown up."

* * *

She waited until night fell. Her mother was snoring softly and Mickey slept on the sofa. He still refused to share a bed with her when her mother was in the house. I can't take her eyes accusing me in the morning he once said. But Rose didn't mind tonight, it suited her even. She rose slowly from the bed, creeping around her room to pull some clothes on. Aliens…blue boxes…explosions…She knew who was behind this. Or at least, knew something about it. The Doctor. And somehow she knew she'd find him tonight.

She opened the window by her dresser, wincing as the old wood groaned. She hadn't done this since she was a kid. Only then she was sneaking out to see Jimmy Stone, not an enigma who called himself the Doctor. Shimmying down the fire escape, she sighed as her feet touched the solid ground. After all this time it still wasn't any less scary.

She gazed into the night. Sirens were still calling distantly, but everything else was silent. People were at home she thought, savouring the fact that they hadn't been caught up in an intergalactic war. She should be doing the same she supposed, but her heart was pounding on, driving her to this mysterious man.

Rose walked through the estate, eyes scanning the corners and the shadows. He was here. She could feel it.

"Doctor?" She whispered, voice almost seeming to echo around the empty underpasses and courtyards.

"Doctor….Help me." She said again. She needed answers. She needed him.

"I could never resist that one." And there he was. He almost melted out of the shadows, one she was sure she had already looked in. She paused. He looked even more tired than the last time. Squinting, she could see loose threads on his suit jacket, frayed and singed.

Rose was silent. She had thought it through this far…but had no idea what to say when she got to this point.

But the Doctor spoke for her.

"Big couple of days for you…well, for the human race really." He stepped further into the light, and Rose could see a small cut marring his cheek. Almost in a daze she stepped forwards, hand reaching out to touch it. He stood still, eyes following her hand as she caressed the broken skin.

But the moment was lost as quickly as it had begun, she stepped back as if her hands had received an electric shock. She averted his gaze, running a hand through her blonde hair as it shone under the moonlight.

The Doctor kept watching. Almost calculating.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Are you alright?" She said finally. The Doctor snapped back into his jovial façade, shrugging and giving a smirk.

"Always. Just a few bumps and bruises, nothing a good cup of tea won't take to fix." She raised an eyebrow.

"Just a few bumps and bruises? You look like you've been through a shredder." The Doctor looked down at his suit with a frown, regarding the singed cloth and broken threads.

"Could do with a bit of a clean up, yeah…" The wail of a siren focused her mind.

"You blew up Downing Street." She said accusingly, mind knitting the singed clothes and the explosion together all at once. He looked affronted.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"No."

"I know you did!"

"Not directly!" Rose swallowed hard.

"Are you a terrorist or something?" The Doctor looked at her, obviously fighting his urge to laugh.

"No, Rose Tyler, I am not a terrorist."

"Then what do you mean not directly? You had something to do with it." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets, looking past her to a place she could not see.

"I know the man who did. And he saved your life by doing it…the whole world as a matter of fact." Rose dithered, taking in his solemn expression.

"Is he alright? Your friend?" She said hesitantly, for some reason feeling intense relief flood through her when he nodded vigorously.

"Oh, yes, he should be fine. He hid in a cupboard." Forgetting herself she laughed, the thought of a grown man hiding in 10 Downing Street seemed rather ridiculous. The Doctor smiled with her, almost grateful to see her beaming. When the laughter quieted Rose stepped towards him again, scanning his eyes. They were both ancient and new, all at the same time. It should have been disconcerting, but it was…comforting.

"Aliens." She whispered, eyes imploring him to confirm it.

"Aliens." He agreed. She puffed out her cheeks, letting out a long breath.

"That's unreal."

"I told you…something extraordinary was coming." The Doctor stepped closer, the calculating behind his eyes showing once more. He was scanning her it seemed, waiting to see if she would give the right reaction. Ask the right question. Under the intense scrutiny of those brown eyes she faltered.

"I…I'm confused." The calculations in his irises stopped; replaced with a softness she had seen before. But she knew she had said the wrong thing…she could almost feel the weight of his disappointment.

"I know." Slowly…ever so slowly, he reached out a tentative hand, fingers just brushing hers. He took her palm gently; thumb stroking the soft skin he found there. Rose looked up at his face, but found him gazing intently at their entwined hands, a small frown settled on his face.

"I still don't know who you are." His eyes met hers then…and all at once he didn't seem so frightening anymore. This stranger wasn't a stranger…that much she knew. But the fragility behind his eyes made him seem broken. All she wanted to do was fix it.

"You will. Soon. The next time we meet I'll tell you who I am, Rose Tyler. I promise." She gave a small smile.

"I really should get you locked up." He gave her a look that made her blush.

"You always say that." Somewhere amidst the chaos of the last few days around her, this didn't seem to be such a strange thing to say anymore.

"When?" The Doctor looked up at the stars, almost searching for the answer.

"Just keep watching the skies. You'll know." His hand untangled for hers, dropping back to his side. She found the loss of it disconcerting.

"Will I understand then?" He gave her the same sad smile.

"Yes. I promise." And once more, he faded away into the night.


End file.
